BJD's Dhenkanal youth president killed in attack

Kamakhynagar: BJD youth wing's Dhenkanal district president Jashobant Parida died in a firing and bomb attack by unidentified miscreants near Gandhi Mandir in the town today.

Parida sustained bullet injuries on his head and was rushed to the SCB Hospital in Cuttack where doctors declared him brought dead.

"While Parida was returning from his house, four miscreants in a Bolero vehicle waylaid his car near Gandhi Mandir and opened fire. When he tried to escape, the miscreants hurled eight bombs on his vehicle and injured him critically," said Sribascha Behera, an eyewitness.

Meanwhile, DGP RP Sharma said, "The culprits managed to flee after abandoning the Bolero vehicle which the police have seized. Investigation is on to nab the assailants."

The district police said the attack on Parida is a pre-planned one.

"We are probing whether there is a link between today's case and an incident two years back when another attempt was made to attack him," Dhenkanal SP Santosh Nayak said.

“The police have sealed all the entry points to the district so that miscreants do not escape,” he added.

On the other hand, ministers Prafulla Mallick and Nrusingha Sahu met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and demanded thorough probe into the murder.

"Parida was a very good and active leader for our party. Earlier, he had sustained injuries in an deadly attack which was result of suspected political rivalry but fortunately he survived while a crime branch probe is also pending in connection with the incident. But we don't know what is the reason behind the attack this time," Mallick said.